Tuesday, 20 August 2019

A 21-year-old man from Redcliff has been sentenced to 15
years in jail for raping his seven-year-old sister.

The accused (who cannot be named to protect the identity of
his sibling) but is from Rutendo in Redcliff appeared before Gweru Regional
Magistrate sitting at Gokwe magistrates court, Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one
count of rape.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15
years in jail. Mrs Msipa suspended three years of his sentence on condition of
good behaviour. He will serve an effective 12 years.

“You’ve been
convicted of a serious offence. It was your legal duty to protect her but you
abused your authority and turned out to be her abuser. You are a first offender
and usually a custodial sentence is the last resort but you decided to dive to
the deep end therefore a non-custodial sentence will trivialise a serious
offence,” said the magistrate.

It was the State’s case that sometime last year in August,
the accused was with the complainant inside the house when he raped her. The complainant went to her aunt’s house after the
incident.

The court heard that the complainant’s aunt discovered that
she was not walking properly and examined her and observed a discharge between
her thighs.

She went on to inform the complainant’s father. The minor’s
father asked her what had happened and she revealed that she had been sexually
abused by the accused.

The complainant’s father escorted the complainant to the
police and reported the matter. Mr Michael Mhene appeared for the State.
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